TEHRAN – Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) has made a sequel to the popular TV series “A Tale of a City”, whose first and second instalments were directed by Asghar Farhadi over twenty years ago.

Written by Payman Abbasi and directed by Mohammadreza Ahanj, the new series will begin airing on IRIB Channel 5 in July, producer Farshid Mahmudi told the Persian service of IRAN on Wednesday.

Farhadi wrote and directed the series in 61 episodes based on “Dar Shahr”, which literally means “In the City”, a TV program that covered events and social and public disorders in and around the capital city of Tehran.

In its episodes, the series focused on topics such as poverty, migration and drug addiction to raise people’s awareness of these issues and to alert public officials about the problems.

“In the new season, stories on fire, robbery and cyberspace issues have been dealt with,” said Mahmudi, who was working for “Dar Shahr” when Farhadi directed the first season of the series during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Mahmudi, who is also the producer of “Dar Shahr” at present, said that despite the fact that the IRIB holds the copyright on the TV series, he has sent a letter to Farhadi via a mutual friend to obtain his approval and possible comments.

“Farhadi, in response, wished the series good luck,” Mahmudi noted, and added that the new season has thanked the previous seasons’ cast and crew in its credits. 

Danial Ebadi, Helia Emami and Amin Imani portray reporters in the news series also staring Ali Dehkordi, Iraj Nozari and Sorush Jamshidi.

Farhadi split from the IRIB in 2002 after writing “The Notes of Childhood”, a TV series directed by his wife Parisa Bakhtavar.

He made his debut feature “Beautiful City” in 2003 and his 2011 break-up drama “A Separation” won him an Oscar. “The Salesman” brought him his second Oscar in 2016.  

Photo: Ali Dehkordi (1st R), Danial Ebadi (2nd R) and an unidentified actress in a scene from “A Tale of a City 3”.

MMS/YAW